NBC Sports' Bob Duff polled, "A group of hockey experts - scouts, coaches, players, general managers, journalists and broadcasters" in an attempt to discern what physical and mental characteristics would produce the "perfect hockey player," and three Red Wings made the experts' cut, taking four of the ten categories listed.

July 15, NBC Sports: Hockey Sense: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: It was about midway through his first season as coach of the Detroit Red Wings when Mike Babcock's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe the hockey rarity he'd witnessed with his own eyes.

Nicklas Lidstrom actually had made a mistake.

Lidstrom's vision of the ice, his ability to always be in the right spot, and his tremendous skills of anticipation make him a one-of-a-kind player.

"He's not a guy that's going to hammer you, but he's always in great position," Chicago left winger Patrick Kane said.

Babcock loves having Lidstrom on his side, but is glad he doesn't have too many Lidstroms.
"Nick Lidstrom is the kind of professional that does everything right every day without ever being told," Babcock said. "Let's be honest, if everyone was like Nick, there would be no coaches, because there would be nothing for us to do."

"It's kind of easy to play with a guy like that," Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "You always know where he is and he talks a lot out there. He's always backing you up back there."

Lidstrom led a second category...

Durability: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: He played his first playoff game in 1992. Seventeen seasons later, he's still playing them at the highest level. No European-trained player or anyone in a Detroit uniform has been in more playoff games. Only two defenseman have scored more Stanley Cup goals than him and just three have more assists.

"It's something I take a lot of pride in, not having missed any playoff games," Lidstrom said. "I've been fortunate enough to be with a team that's made the playoffs every year that I've been here. Going deep into the playoffs, it really adds up."

Others marvel at how Lidstrom, nearing 40, continues to thrive playing the NHL's most physically demanding position.

"He's pretty amazing out there," Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. "He makes it look so simple to be a D-man here in the NHL, when it's not really. If I'm going to be even close to his career, I'm going to be happy."

Pavel Datsyuk earned the nod for "strength":

Strength: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings: He's just like that old battery commercial with actor Robert Conrad. Go ahead, try to knock him off his skates. Just try it, if you think you can.

Better yet, think otherwise. Stopping Datsyuk when he has the puck is one of hockey's most imposing challenges. He can make it dance on the blade of his stick and checkers bounce off him like he was a wall and they were rubber balls. And if you've got the puck, don't be surprised when you come out second-best in a collision with Datsyuk.

"He competes just as hard as any player in the league," Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf said. "You can't do that if you're an outside player. He's definitely a player that likes to get in there and go to the net."

"He is so strong on his skates, so strong on his stick," Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart said. "I don't know what else you can say. I really think he is one of the top two or three in the league in any category you can think of."

And Darren Helm snagged the tag as the player with the most speed:

Speed: Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings: He wasn't even in the NHL for much of the current season, yet talk to any of his teammates - or opponents who suffer through the misfortune of coming up against him - and they'll tell you Helm is the fastest.

"You won't get any argument in our dressing room," said Detroit center Kris Draper, himself no slowpoke on ice. "The kid just flat out flies. His first couple of strides, he just explodes. He's very agile, too. Not only can he skate fast when going straight, he's just as fast side to side, stops and starts, turns, and his mobility is very good as well.

"I would put him in the class with the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt," Draper said of the Olympic 100 and 200-meter gold medalist from Jamaica. "I look at Helm, thats Usain Bolt on ice."